Started on April 25, 2019| Philippines| 00:35 hours
IMPORTANT:
I could not find any real life reference of Tokonosu City so therefore I used Google Earth to see what city could be replaced by Tokonosu. After looking, I decided that instead of there being an Osaka, it is now Tokonosu; large, populated, and it fits for what I'm planning.
IMPORTANT NUMERO DOS:
NO, I will not be using real life maps because I've never been to Osaka. Least I don't remember anyway. Plus, have you seen how big Osaka is? On the map alone? Fuck that, I'll be hassling both you guys and myself so no, I won't give a detailed map-for-map location. Hell, I'll make everything up for Tokonosu since not even the wiki has a damn map.
SIDE NOTE IMPORTANT:
May as well make everything up for real life locations. Only fair that way.
Onwards my comrades! Bring me the Vodka! … fuck you mean we ran out?! No stock?! BAH! Naruto! Bring me some sake!
N: You don't own me! Nor HOTD actually.
FUCK OFF! I WRITE SOME FANFICS! THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH!
N: You're still broke.
Wanna run that by me again? I'm sure removing your potential pairing will be fine.
N: …
Good man. NOW SAKE DAMMIT! Oh… none too huh? Alright, fuck it. Water it is then.
Destination: Japan
The Pelicans arrive on what looks to be a giant air craft carrier that can easily be called a giant floating city. It is ten kilometers wide, seventy kilometers in length, and while part of it is submerged, the surface view from the top flat of the carrier to the sea is thirty meters high. Unlike other carriers, however, it has two bridges on the sides, one for each, and one bridge at the rear - all of which are aligned in height and extending the height by another twenty.
On the surface of the carriers are thousands of air craft be they planes, helicopters, or Pelicans, and as the flight of forty Pelicans land, the lead Pelican is greeted by a contingent of four soldiers, and one officer with snow white hair who wears an outfit similar to that worn by the Helghast Legionaries and Naruto. On his face is a scar that goes down his eye, and where his hairstyle not similar to Naruto's and his hair color silver, he could easily be mistaken for as Kakashi Hatake, a legend among both the Legions and the EGO.
As the ramp opens and the two step out, the officers greets them.
"Naruto, Shikamaru, I'm glad you've both made it."
Naruto raises a brow at him. "Michael?"
"Michaelo." The man corrects with a firm nod. "Come, we have matters to discuss, and I have a purpose to fulfill."
The Namikaze looks at the Nara who just shrugs before they both decide to just go along with it.
The man, Michaelo stops out in the open making the two following him look at him oddly before a jolt of the ground and a hiss of air make them look down as where they stand starts to descent. The two look up to see that the platform they are on is easily replaced by another making the blonde hum in thought while pineapple boy mutters something incoherent although one doesn't really have to guess what he said.
As they descend, Michaelo speaks. "As you may be aware, I am the clone of Michael. Similar in many ways, but not all." He then motions to the floors that pass by. "Appearances are deceptive, as I'm sure you're seeing."
Naruto nods. "The warehouse was designed to be deceptive so I can see where you're coming from." He then steps beside the man. "What does that have to do with you though?"
Michaelo's body glows a soft white before becoming somewhat transparent. It regains its physical look again after he takes a look at the somewhat shocked faces of Shikamaru and Naruto.
"You're-"
"An AI that has acquired the ability to gain a physical form, yes." the man replies to the Nara before looking into Naruto's eyes. "You have one of the most advanced AI's I've ever seen. Not to mention, pat cyborg? Wow, and I thought my original was crazy." He says lightly before popping his joints.
"So where are we going?" Shikamaru asks as he looks around the still descending lift.
"Briefing room."
"How far does this thing go?" Naruto wonders before another jolt and hiss of air sounds.
"This far."
Shikamaru snickers as Naruto gives him a glare. "Not feeling so witty now are we?"
"My wit is still better than most."
"Yeah, well, he still beat you to it without even trying."
Naruto scoffs. "That's one trait of my cousin I hate, but I sure as hell miss it." He mumbles off before Michaelo motions him and Shikamaru to follow. He looks down and asks as he still sees more floors they've yet to reach. "What's that supposed to be?"
The three keep their stride as Michaelo answers. "That is what we will need to get into space." He then taps the air before a vision of while blasts throughout their path showing the halls of a luxury cruise ship instead of the transparent halls and walkways they were experiencing thus far. "The carrier is a terrestrial base that Michael hoped would be somewhat permanent, but with the recent developments against the Legions, he decided that it would not be worth the trouble of keeping just one base so here we are, a temporary base before we get into space. So far though, the carrier has been good enough for us to use with its cloaking ability,but it will only be a matter of time before the world goes to hell."
As they walk down the hall, a wall opens leading to a dimly lit room where Michaelo enters and the two follow. He looks at them as a holographic map appears on a table at the center. "Now, let's begin."
===== Later that night =====
Naruto can be found sitting on his bed in a rather luxurious room while wearing a black slim-fit shirt that was rather comfortable, black cargo pants, and five knives he tries to keep on his person at all times. He wears no footwear as his boots rest at the foot of his bed while his socks are in a basket near the door with a spare set of clothes in the closet of the room.
The room even has a fake window that shows beautiful city lights and rain drops, and the audio system gave an ambient sound to the point where the blonde could almost forget he was in a carrier. A giant carrier more advanced than anything ever built, but a carrier nonetheless.
The lighting of the room is dim as a soft orange glow emanates from a standing floor lamp located at the corner near the "window" of his room. Naruto sits facing the window as the lamp's light shadows his face except his eyes. As he stares at the window, his eyes glow a haunting orange, almost as if fires dance within them.
A haunting scream.
"Naruto, are you sure you want to do this?"
Naruto smiles. "Yes, Tou-san."
"You won't ever be the same after this."
Naruto smiles. "Nah, I'm sure I'll stay the same. I'm Naruto Namikaze for a reason!"
The knocks on the door to the room pull Naruto from his thoughts. "Come in."
The door unlocks and slides open with the hiss of air before two people step in.
The first person Naruto takes notice is Shikamaru. The Nara is now dressed similar to what Naruto wore earlier. Shisui is the second one he notices. The Uchiha, like the Nara, now wears what he wore earlier. The two of them stand in attention as Naruto stands to face them.
"No need for formalities or stiffness when I'm off duty." Naruto remarks dryly as two lounge chairs materialize by the walls. "Sit."
The two look at each other quizzically before the decided to do as told.
"I'm going to assume this is about who among both of you will be known as Scipio?" Naruto asks having an idea where the topic can go.
"Not… necessarily." Shisui says nervously. "I've decided to resign my position to Shikamaru. I can't beat him in any strategy games so far, and I feel as though only you can give him a run for his money… even without your cyborg augmentation."
Naruto raises a brow at that. "Well now that's somewhat surprising. I thought for sure there would be a fight among the two of you."
"Is that a good thing?" Shikamaru asks lazily.
The blonde shrugs. "Doesn't matter much now. No fight is good so let's leave that at that." He turns his attention to Shisui next as he says, "I want to know why though."
Shisui smiles. "I'd like permission to go to Itachi and help him. He's-"
"Your best friend." Naruto finishes the statement. "I recognize such bonds when a person speaks fondly of another is such a manner. If you need my permission, you have it, although you never needed it."
Shisui nods before clearing his throat. "Well, that was all I came for actually. Excuse me, Caesar. You have your Tenth Legion. I can now address you as such."
"If it pleases you." Naruto says with a nod. He and Shikamaru watch Shisui leave before the two look at each other. "So, what's on your mind?"
Shikamaru smirks smugly before sinking into his seat. "I wanted to know what you thought of me going to Switzerland."
"What the hell are you going to do there?" Naruto asks with a raised brow.
"The Thirteenth Legion betrayed us, but be that as it may, it is the closest t Germany I can get without interfering with the matters Itachi, and now Shisui will be dealing with. They've been rather neutral between our war and EGO, but they sympathize with us."
Naruto grins at that. "That's surprising for the most part."
Shikamaru scoffs. "I'll admit, I had the same reaction. However, I have a purpose for going there." Naruto simply motions with his hands for him to continue, and continue he does. "So far the Swiss have been safe from the infection, but I fear not for long. We have the common Virals, Runners, Walkers, and Biters, but I've heard rumours that a new type has been sighted. One more dangerous than the four. The Swiss are in my opinion the best chance we have at finding out what the new variant is."
Naruto nods and smiles. "Good man. I'll leave that to you. I want you and Shisui to take three pelicans worth of my Helghast Legionaries. Oh, and tell him to take those three kids. Neji, Lee, and Kiba I believe their names were?"
Shikamaru nods. "What about you? You heading to Japan?"
Naruto shrugs. "Not much of a choice. Our forces are already spread thin. I can clone them here once Cortana finishes with the data I sent her, but that will be awhile."
Shikamaru nods before he stands. "Thank you, Naruto. I'll report back to you on anything I can find." With those words and a nod from the blonde, he leaves.
Naruto on the other hand sat back down on his bed before his mind drifts back to the briefing he head earlier.
===== The Briefing Earlier =====
"Now let's begin."
The holographic map zooms into Asia and highlights Japan.
"Japan, like Switzerland, has remained neutral throughout this entire conflict we have with the EGO. However, that no longer matters. See, Japan, like some of the very few countries that have stayed neutral, has yet to be touched by the infection… as of yesterday."
Shikamaru then raises a point. "Meaning what exactly?"
Michaelo smiles. He gives a motion with his hand and the map zooms in on a hospital. "This just came in an hour ago."
The image becomes a video as a man can be seen thrashing wildly on a stretcher as he is wheeled into the hospital from an ambulance.
Naruto steps forward and analyzes the video before looking at the white-haired man. "What allowance are you giving us? Surely this means that this is more than an hour ago. We have to take into consideration the time it takes for them to even send the video."
"An allowance of three hours." Michaelo says as the video closes. "So four in total.
"Any live feed yet?" Naruto asks.
"That's the problem."
"How so?"
"We're already taking a risk with these communications. They can be intercepted by EGO any time, granted, they are in disarray after fighting our remnants and we still have pockets of resistance everywhere, but our remnants won't last long considering they have more than one threat to deal with."
"You mean the infected?"
"Correct, but not just any." Michaelo says before the map of the table changes to that of an image showing an animalistic looking infected looking into the camera in a roar as its lower jaws part into two.
"What the fuck?" Shikamaru manages to mutter out while Naruto simply stares at it.
After a moment of silence, the blonde voices his thoughts. "Their experiments failed, I take it?"
Michaelo nods. "EGO tried to weaponize the virus… they thought they could wipe us out with it, but, in turn, they created something that could destroy us both."
"So, what of Japan?" Naruto asks as he motions his hand and closes the video. "Surely they sent this to us in hopes of us helping them."
"They did. It will be your call now. You are Caesar. You are our leader. I can keep everything running smoothly here, but any big decisions, any field deployments, they pass through you."
Naruto stares at the table showing Japan, the image of the new infected, and a looped video of the man being wheeled away. "I need to think on it."
"No one will force you sir." Michaelo says before he heads to the door.
"Wait." Naruto calls out just in time for the man to reach the door. "What did they hope to achieve with that thing?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." With that, the man leaves leaving the other two in the room to view any additional information they could use.
===== Naruto's room, present =====
That briefing was over two hours ago. The blonde, still on his bed, has much to think about.
Cortana appears before him and places a hand on him, yet he feels nothing but the cold touch of air. "Hey, come on, I was designed to be as human as possible, remember? At least give me credit for trying to cheer you up."
Naruto snorts in amusement before looking at her. "Your done with the files?"
"Yeah, but somehow there are a few that I can't access no matter what."
Naruto nods. "That's good. It means that those files are for me and me alone to know."
"You don't trust me, Naruto?"
"You may think you know me, Cortana, just because you've seen things in files, files that show memories, but you don't." He says plainly before plopping down onto his bed.
"Way to boost a girl's confidence."
Naruto smirks without making eye contact. "Pity you're just that though. I like that look of yours… it's appealing."
"You're rather blunt, huh?"
"It's who I am." He shrugs before snapping his fingers and the lights in the room turn off leaving only the beautiful blue glow of Cortana as she sits on the bed… even thought it doesn't shift to her as she is but a hologram, no physical contact, no material touch, simply an image created by Naruto's cyborg enhancements.
"You're still so young, yet look at you…"
"Michael is not the only one to make a clone, Cortana."
"What do you mean?"
"Those files you can't access? They are mine for a reason." He shifts as his eyes close.
Cortana only looks at him before her hologram vanishes taking the beautiful blue glow with her.
Naruto's eyes then open as he stares into the darkness of his room, his mind still racing with possibilities.
"Naruto, I'm sorry to disturb, but you'll want to come see this." Michaelo's voice says through the intercom in his room.
Without much choice, the blonde gets up, gets dressed, and heads off.
It takes him only five minutes to get to where he needs to be, in one of the many briefing rooms, and Michaelo materializes inside.
"What is it?" Naruto asks before a blue screen pops up from a wall.
Michaelo says nothing as a video plays.
In the video, the man who was wheeled into the hospital lies strapped on a stretcher. Five doctors surround him as he struggles to break free even with his stomach cut open, yet the doctors do their best to do their work on him.
A strap snaps shocking the doctors before one of them hits it in the head knocking it out. They continue to do their work when Naruto notices that they never saw it coming.
The man's skin paled before darkening, and veins started to give off an orange glow. What happened next happened too fast for any of the doctors to react.
The thing's lower jaw splits into two and tears one doctor's head off via a bite to the neck. Although the video has no audio, somehow Naruto can still hear them scream as two doctors manage to get out while the other two lie trap before being cut down, one by one of the thing's claws, the other by being jumped on and bitten sending him and the creature out the window.
The video ends in static.
"That was ten minutes ago." Michaelo says with a grim look. "Looks like Japan won't be safe anymore."
Naruto looks him in the eye as Cortana materializes beside him. "How many hours until dawn?"
"Seven."
Naruto looks at Cortana and taps the back of his neck where a slit opens. "Stay here, make sure you can clone them." Here he looks at the clone of his cousin. "We do have the machines, right?" All he receives is a nod, and that is all he needs before he nods back. "Get me a connection with her and this ship once it's done. She and I will handle the channel encryption." A chip is then forced out from the back of his neck and Cortana vanishes.
"It takes four hours to reach Japan if you don't want to give away our location to the EGO."
"So clone them fast."
"What are you going to do?"
"Ready the men. Tell them to be ready for departure in two hours."
"Got it."
Naruto leaves the briefing room and checks the ships logs for the last known location of Shisui and Shikamaru. He doesn't even go to them. Instead, he simply forwards them the video and goes to his room. He then sends them a voice message as he starts to gather his things and decide what he needs.
===== Two hours later on the carrier deck =====
The Tenth Legion stands in attention as Naruto watches them while Shisui and Shikamaru stand by his flanks "Helghast Legionaries!" Naruto calls out in a booming voice even those not part of his legion on deck stop to listen. "We have a difficult fight ahead of us. I cannot ensure that you will all come back. I promise you now, you may have been created, but know this: I would rather see you all live and come home than die giving up your lives lest it be the only choice for success. Take no unnecessary risks. Remember that." His speech is done and all Helghast beat their chest once with a fist before giving their unifying cry.
"Hail Caesar!"
Naruto then turns to Shikamaru and says, "Shika, take four hundred men. That's twenty flights of pelicans." He then turns to the Uchiha and says, "Shisui, take two hundred, ten flights."
"What do you intend to do with only two hundred men?" Shisui asks as they only have eight hundred men at the moment.
"My Helghast are far more skilled than your average soldier." Naruto says with a smirk. "Go, choose your men, and don't fail."
"Neji, Kiba, and Lee are coming with me too?" Shisui asks with a raised brow. "They're kids."
"They're like me. Child soldiers. They'll live. That' why I'm sending them with you." Naruto then pats him on the shoulder. "You and Itachi were just like them."
"I'll be sure to send them your way once I deem them capable then." Shisui says before heading off.
Shikamaru stands there for a moment before Naruto asks what's bothering him. "Nothing major. My only qualm is that we won't know what to expect in Switzerland. Japan still communicates with us, but not the Swiss. If anything, they went dark because all countries around them are part of EGO with Itachi still in Germany creating some problems for EGO here and there."
"That's why you're going with four hundred men. No idea what to expect, yet fully prepared to give them hell if they already fell."
Shikamaru nods before grasping Naruto's arm. "Don't die on me."
Naruto snorts. "No, you don't die on me." The two then part ways as Shikamaru chooses his men.
"Sir." One Helghast calls out stepping forward from the group. "What shall you require of the rest of us?"
Naruto stares on as the carrier lights blink and shine through the still dark deck. "Centurion, prepare three flights of Pelicans. Make sure all Pelicans are armed. Return here with the rest for final briefing."
It takes only another thirty minutes or so for the task to be completed and the Centurion returns with a fist on his chest reporting that he has finished. Behind him, thirty Pelicans take off and only two hundred men remain.
Naruto looks at them before nodding. "A flight of three Pelicans are heading in with me. The rest of you, make sure to give your brothers a crash course. They won't have the time for their bodies to adjust to the liquid in the tanks unlike you, so I will need you to ensure that they will be able to perform any and all physical acts you are capable of." He then looks the centurion and says, "Pick the teams. Two minutes."
"They'll be ready in one." The centurion says before turning to face the men and says, "Legionaries! Volunteer!"
All step forward.
"Count off from one to eighty!"
In no less than a minute, eighty men stand aside from their brothers as they make six lines behind three Pelican Gunships, two behind each.
"Sir, do you want me to come with you?" The centurion asks as Naruto steps onto the ramp of the Pelican.
Naruto thinks for a moment before turning and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Not yet. Join the second wave. I want you to make sure that the new batch of Helghast will be just as capable as yours. I don't like losing men, no matter who or what they are."
"Understood." He says with a fist to his chest.
"Good man. I expect to see you son Centurion." Naruto says as he gets on and the ramp is raised.
The three Pelicans take off, the night now nearing its end with only four hours and thirty minutes before dawn, and Naruto taking into precaution of taking a four hour flight to keep their carrier secret as of the moment, the should arrive just before dawn above Japanese waters.
Naruto taps his bracers and a wide titanium shield materializes through the use of nanobots. He does a motion with his hand and a Spatha materializes before he sheaths it on his left hip while doing the same again only this time for a roman gladius to take form which he sheathes onto his right.
The men do the same before sending a video taken by their helmets to their brothers on the other Pelicans and then, for then next four hours, the ride only contains small chatter between the pilots and the humming of the engines.
===== Coast of Japan; 30 minutes before Dawn =====
"Sir, radio chatter coming in from an SDF airbase." The copilot of Naruto's Pelican says while looking back to the the cargo section of the ship where the twenty men sit while Naruto stands, not at all off balanced.
"Put it through." Naruto says before tapping his bracers.
"Tenth Legion, come in. Tenth Legion, come in"
"Tenth Legion, Communication intercepted. State your intent SDF."
"Tenth Legion, be advised: This is a recorded message. All airports are closed. Narita International Airport is the only one you're allowed access to to set up headquarters. The rest have been taken cared of by the EGO. SDF personnel have already been notified to prepare for your arrival. Reply as soon as possible. First public outbreak was in Tokyo. Second was in the Kyoto. We need backup and the EGO isn't of any help."
"Sir?" The pilot asks from the cockpit.
"They know we're coming. How far out are we?" Naruto says as he walks up to the cockpit and watches from behind the pilots.
"Twenty minutes out until we make land sir. We're approaching from the south. Narita is to the north."
Naruto nods. "Disregard the message. We don't have enough men. Not yet."
"So where shall we land sir?"
Naruto opens his tacmap from his bracer and zooms in on a location. "Tokonosu City."
===== TBC =====
Finished on April 28, 2019| Philippines| 18:16 hours
Not yet proofread.
REVIEW PLEASE! Constructive criticism is fine BUT remember, fanfiction so I don't have to follow fucking canon. Plus, I thought it (this) would give something new to this section of fanfiction so here. Don't like it? Awe, too bad for me, but hey, can't please everyone, and FIIIIINALLLYYYY!
Why? Because next chap will finally have some HOTD characters… anime only. Never read the manga, and when I heard it's incomplete cause the author died? Yeah, not really feeling it so…
Till next time!